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Category: gyunrtuu
COVID-19: CARICOM IMPACS and the British High Commission Extend Support to the…
St. Lucia records more cases of COVID Oct 16, 2020 From Left to Right. Mr. Gladwin Samuels, Director of Her Majesty’s Prison, Guyana; Mr. Ray Davidson, Deputy British High Commissioner; Lt. Col. Michael Jones, Executive Director (Ag), CARICOM IMPACS; Hon. Robeson Benn, Minister of Home Affairs of Guyana; and Dr. Kwasi St. Clair, Head of Guyana Prison Service Medical Department. As part of the CARICOM coordinated response to COVID-19, CARICOM IMPACS is contributing to prevent and mitigate the spread of the pandemic in prisons, law enforcement and other security sectors in CARICOM Member States. CMO says Saint Lucia at critical stage of COVID-19 outbreak Lt. Col. Michael Jones, Executive Director (Ag), CARICOM IMPACS who delivered the air shipment of the COVID-19 related supplies said he was “particularly happy to partner with the UKAID to address the most immediate requirements of the Guyana Prison Service in order to mitigate against COVID-19 within the prisons environment in Guyana”. Responding to the request from Guyana Prison Authorities to support national COVID-19 measures to minimize and control the risk of the contagion inside their prisons, the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS) with the support of the UKAID has immediately provided urgent assistance of medical and sanitation supplies and other related COVID-19 materials to the Guyana Prison Services to help minimise the risk of infection and transmission of COVID-19 in prisons. The donation of these supplies will encourage and assist with the accelerated adoption of the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for prisons and other places of detention, as well as help mitigate the spread of the pandemic, and reinforce security within Guyana prisons. You may be interested in… Prisons are generally considered to be amplifiers in the spread of infectious diseases and pose a great challenge for authorities working to prevent and contain COVID-19. The WHO identifies people in prisons as more vulnerable to COVID-19 than the general population because of the confined conditions in which they live, and proximity with one another – conditions that facilitate transmission of diseases. A sudden eruption of COVID-19 in prisons would put intense pressure on the public health care system in Guyana. CARICOM IMPACS has successfully donated supplies to the correction and prison services in twelve (12) other CARICOM Member States – Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. This assistance package is funded by the UK government to support the prevention and mitigation of COVID-19 in CARICOM Prisons. Also witnessing the handover of the supplies were Mr. Gladwin Samuels, Director of Her Majesty’s Prison, Guyana; Mr. Ray Davidson, Deputy British High Commissioner and Dr. Kwasi St. Clair, Head of Guyana Prison Service Medical department. Oct 15, 2020 The RSS is a key partner in this collaborative initiative by providing airlift and logistical support for the distribution of supplies to some CARICOM Member States. The French Forces in the Caribbean also provided Airlift to the Bahamas and Belize. More deaths from COVID-19 recorded in CARICOM countries,… Oct 16, 2020 Director Samuel noted that the supplies “will strengthen the capacity of the Guyana Prison Service to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within the prison walls”. Oct 15, 2020 Minister of Home Affairs, the Hon. Robeson Benn who received the supplies at the Ogle International Airport expressed “profound gratitude and appreciation to CARICOM IMPACS, the British High Commission and the Regional Security System (RSS) from the government and people of Guyana for the donation received which will support COVID-19 preventative and mitigating measures in the prison”. About CARICOM IMPACS Six Eastern Caribbean countries deemed safe for travel – CDC In addition to the items provided to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 in prisons, CARICOM IMPACS collaborated with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to provide virtual training sessions to frontline officers on measures to protect themselves in the line of duty. CARICOM IMPACS also partnered with the University of West Indies COVID-19 Task Force with virtual training on stress management for Law Enforcement Officers. These effort strengthened the capacity of prison staff to better manage their operations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and also complements the efforts by CARICOM IMPACS, the UKAID and the RSS to provide medical and sanitation supplies and other related COVID-19 supplies to CARICOM Member States. The donation included medical and sanitation supplies and other COVID-19 related supplies. The donation provided are in accordance with guidelines issued by the WHO for the prevention and control of the pandemic in prisons. CARICOM IMPACS is the coordinating and implementation arm of the region’s multilateral crime and security management architecture, specifically designed to administer a collective response to the crime and security priorities of its Member States. Its members comprise fifteen (15) CARICOM Member States and five (5) Associate Members. IMPACS comprises the Headquarters which is in Trinidad and Tobago and two sub-Agencies, the Joint Regional Communications Centre (JRCC) and the Regional Intelligence Fusion Centre (RIFC). The Agency is responsible for the coordination of the Standing Committee of Correctional Services and Prisons in CARICOM. Learn more at https://www.caricomimpacs.org Share this:PrintTwitterFacebookLinkedInLike this:Like Loading… Fighting COVID-19 in Prisons: CARICOM IMPACS and the United Kingdom Partner to Support Dominica PrisonRoseau, 29 May 2020 – COVID-19 poses an extraordinary risk to prison populations. Efforts to prevent and mitigate COVID-19 in the Caribbean are likely to fail if strong prevention and control measures are not carried out in prisons. In Dominica, there have been no confirmed COVID-19 cases in prisons. However,…May 29, 2020In “Dominica”COVID-19: CARICOM IMPACS and the British High Commission Extend Support to Prisons in Trinidad and Tobago and GrenadaPrisons are generally considered to be amplifiers in the spread of infectious diseases and pose a great challenge for authorities working to prevent and contain COVID-19. The World Health Organisation (WHO) identifies people in prisons as more vulnerable to COVID-19 than the general population because of the confined conditions in…June 2, 2020In “Barbados”St. Kitts And Nevis Prison is Better Equip to Prevent COVID-19: CARICOM IMPACS And The United Kingdom Provide Support To Regional PrisonsThe CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) is stepping up donations of basic sanitation supplies and other COVID related supplies to prisons and correctional facilities in twelve (12) CARICOM Member States affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. An air shipment of the sanitation supplies arrived in St. Kitts today.…May 27, 2020In “IMPACS”Share this on WhatsApp
TNSC combats the tough economic climate
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Fiji: Dredging Project Saves Ba
The people of Ba believe that dredging program saved the town from flooding, reports fijitimes.com.They are very grateful that the government dredged the Ba River last year.After continuous rain on Wednesday night, they expected the river to overflow and flood the town, said Samuela Kautoga, local resident.“Based on our past experiences, it should have been under water after all that heavy rainfall. We now see that the river has held and not broke its banks despite the heavy rain over two days,” he said.[mappress]Dredging Today Staff, February 2, 2014
Russia: Officials Talk About Development of Sea and River Ports
In Komsomolsk-on-Amur on April 17, 2014 the Marine Board under the Government of the Russian Federation members pre-arranged meeting was held under the chairmanship of Dmitry Rogozin, with the participation of Andrey Tarasenko, the FSUE “Rosmorport” General Director.During the meeting the Marine Board members addressed matters related to the perspective plans of construction of ships, vessels and marine equipment for the Russian shelf development at the production facilities of shipbuilding companies in the Far East of the country.The following matters have also been discussed:– the state and prospects of development of sea and river ports;– enhancing the role of the port and transport complexes of Russia in international transport system;– the issues of creating a unified state system of information on the World ocean environment and its implementation in maritime activities.[mappress]Press Release, April 23, 2014
Referral fee ban will hit PI claimants – says MoJ assessment
Personal injury claimants could suffer from a ban on referral fees while insurers and lawyers would incur no extra costs, according to the government department proposing the ban. An impact assessment of the proposed ban, published today by the Ministry of Justice, admits that ‘overall claimants might lose out’ from a ban on referral fees in personal injury cases, with individuals expected to be affected more than businesses. However, lawyers are likely to incur no net additional costs, while insurers are expected to gain overall. The report was compiled a month ago following the government’s decision to prohibit the payment and receipt of referral fees through a provision in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill (LASPO). It states that the policy objectives are to reduce legal and related insurance costs and to discourage people from bringing unnecessary claims for compensation. But the admission that claimants may lose out will be seized on by opponents of a ban, advocating the Legal Services Board’s position of increasing transparency instead. The impact assessment says: ‘Some potential claimants may lose out if their claim is not brought forward without referral fees being paid, although there would be nothing to stop them contacting a lawyer directly to see if they have a valid claim. ‘This would depend upon the claimant’s ability to select the right lawyer for their case and upon the CMC’s incentives to do so.’ It adds that lawyers who currently pay referral fees may lose out from the reduced volume of personal injury business, but this is likely to be offset by no longer paying referral fees. ‘Furthermore, in future alternative business structures may see lawyers entering into partnerships with non-lawyers and this may negate the need for referral fees. ‘Finally, lawyers might benefit from getting more direct control over which cases to take on, achieving a more efficient matching process between lawyers and claimants taken on.’ There are also net gains for advertisers as a result of increased business from lawyers, and for insurers who will save costs from a reduced volume of claims, despite many also making profits from the sale of accident victims’ details. The impact assessment again states that enforcement of the ban will be left to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The ban is likely to take effect next October when the LASPO bill becomes law. Meanwhile, the government’s referral fee ban has come in for criticism from both claims management companies and defendant insurers. The Claims Standards Council has written to the government warning it will start judicial review proceedings if the ban goes into existing legislation. Chairman Darren Werth said: ‘A ban would be unlawful, procedurally unfair, irrational and disproportionate. In any event, it would be impossible to enforce effectively.’ Leading insurance firm Kennedys has also warned the current ban proposal leaves room for exploitation of loopholes. Head of liability division Richard West said: ‘A law firm could seek to pay to ‘receive’ services in return for receipt of cases. Such firms would therefore receive ‘for free’ the claimant injury cases thus exploiting the current loophole.’
Kenyan locomotion for BBC
Three of the 20 General Electric (GE) diesel locomotives – all of which were being upgraded in Illinois – had already been shipped to Mombasa. The trains are expected to double RVR’s main line locomotive fleet, and substantially increase freight haulage capacity in Kenya and Uganda.The locomotives, each of which weighed around 95 tonnes, were loaded and unloaded from BBC Ganges using the vessel’s own two 250-tonne capacity cranes. www.bbc-chartering.com
Comey to testify publicly about Trump confrontations
WASHINGTON (CNN) Fired FBI director James Comey plans to testify publicly in the Senate as early as next week to confirm bombshell accusations that President Donald Trump pressured him to end his investigation into a top Trump aide’s ties to Russia, a source close to the issue said Wednesday.Final details are still being worked out and no official date for his testimony has been set. Comey is expected to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is investigating possible connections between the Trump campaign and Russia during last year’s presidential election.Comey has spoken privately with Special Counsel Robert Mueller III to work out the parameters for his testimony to ensure there are no legal entanglements as a result of his public account, a source said. Comey will likely sit down with Mueller, a longtime colleague at the Justice Department, for a formal interview only after his public testimony.When he testifies, Comey is unlikely to be willing to discuss in any detail the FBI’s investigation into the charges of possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign — the centerpiece of the probe, this source said. But he appears eager to discuss his tense interactions with Trump before his firing, which have now spurred allegations that the president may have tried to obstruct the investigation.If it happens, Comey’s public testimony promises to be a dramatic chapter in the months-long controversy, and it will likely bring even more intense scrutiny to an investigation that Trump has repeatedly denounced as a “witch hunt.”The appointment of Mueller as a special counsel in the Russia investigation had raised concerns among some members of Congress that his probe could scuttle the chance for Congress and the public to hear directly from Comey. That appears less likely now that Mueller and Comey have discussed the limits of his testimony.Since his firing last month, dramatic accounts have emerged in the New York Times, CNN, and elsewhere about the tense confrontations with Trump that Comey memorialized in memos afterward. A week after he took office in January, Trump allegedly demanded Comey’s “loyalty” if he kept him on as FBI director, and he urged Comey to drop his ongoing investigation into Michael Flynn, Trump’s fired national security adviser, in a separate, one-on-one meeting.The source said that Comey is expected to stand by those accounts in his testimony.“The bottom line is he’s going to testify,” the source close to the issue said. “He’s happy to testify, and he’s happy to cooperate.”Officials with the Justice Department and Mueller’s office declined to comment. Related Articles:Trump asked Comey to shut down Flynn investigationSenators: Comey to testify publicly before intelligence panelCongressional panels pledge thorough probe into Comey firingClapper: US govt ‘under assault’ by Trump after Comey firing Author: CNN Published: May 31, 2017 3:06 PM EDT Do you see a typo or an error? Let us know. Comey to testify publicly about Trump confrontations SHARE
Bar Council pours cold water on pricing transparency
The Bar Council has criticised as ‘not practical’ proposals by the Competition and Markets Authority to encourage more openness about prices and quality of service.Responding to the competition watchdog’s interim report on the legal services market, the bar’s representative body said that given the bespoke nature of work carried out by barristers, providing detailed upfront pricing information is not practical in ‘most cases’.The Bar Council’s response mirrors that of the Law Society, which last month cautioned against the proposals adding that ‘market-driven solutions can and will plug the transparency of information gap’.The Bar Council added that when barristers are instructed by referral ‘as they most commonly are’, any perceived barriers to comparisons are ‘fully mitigated by the role of the professional client who is able to assist the consumer make an informed choice on quality and price’.Publications and comparison guides including the Legal 500, Chambers & Partners and bar association websites can also be used to compare quality of service, the bar council added.The council said it did not oppose the idea of a ‘central hub’ for comparing information, with Legal Choices a possible candidate. However if it is to be used it must remain ‘neutral and objective’, said the council.In July the CMA said that competition in the legal services market did not merit a formal investigation and that it would instead focus on ways of improving the information available to consumers before they buy.The bar’s response agrees that now is not the time for a review – particularly given that many of the developments prompted by the Legal Services Act 2007 are still at a relatively early stage and their impact is not yet known.It goes on to outline several other reasons not to change the status quo. Among its concerns are:That changes to professional titles could lead to a blurring of the lines between regulated and unregulated providers and amount to the creation of a new regulated title of ‘lawyer’; andThe position of McKenzie friends, where it says that more clarity is needed surrounding the rights of audience.The response adds that alternative regulatory models post ‘very significant challenges’ and it would be difficult to see how activity-based regulation could work.‘Many practitioners … undertake considerable advisory work and most barristers undertake a mixture of different activities. In addition, certain solicitors are qualified to undertake advocacy,’ the council said. It added: ‘This model could lead to practitioners being regulated by multiple regulators and being over-regulated by different and potentially conflicting rules.’
Fisher Meredith name disappears on £9m London merger
Full-service central London firm Bishop & Sewell has absorbed 42-year-old Fisher Meredith, creating a £9m turnover practice with over 50 fee-earners.The combined outfit starts life today as Bishop & Sewell LLP, operating from Bishop’s Russell Square office. It will continue to be led by the current management team of Stephen Bishop (founder and managing partner), Michael Gillman (senior partner) and Mark Chick (partner). Bishop & Sewell officeSource: Google street viewFollowing the merger key partners from Holborn-based Fisher Meredith, including Eileen Pembridge and Louise Barretto, are joining the Bishop & Sewell team. Of nine former Fisher partners, five are transferring as partners and two as consultants.Bishop & Sewell was established in 1979 by Stephen Bishop and Jill Sewell and was originally known for its property and commercial work. Since then the firm has steadily expanded into a full-service outfit.Fisher Meredith was founded in 1975 by Eileen Pembridge, senior partner and head of family. It offers services covering family, property, immigration and employment.Bishop said the merger is part of its planned expansion and will strengthen its family and dispute resolution practices, as well as create a new immigration department.Fisher’s Pembridge said:
’We can now build on our success of the last 42 years by merging with a larger law firm and look forward to supporting and expanding our footprint with the deeper resources of Bishop & Sewell.’Fisher’s current Holborn offices are being wound down and all fee-earners are transferring to the combined firm.